Reformation
by Chiera
Summary: The Gotei 13 received an order to finally fill in the vacancies left in their ranks by Aizen's betrayal. However, some of the choices for the new captains seem to be a bit surprising...
1. Orders from above

**Reformation**

_by Chiera_

**Disclaimer:** I acknowledge that I own no rights to the world and the characters featured in this story: they belong to the creator of _Bleach_, Kubo Tite. I am not making any profit by writing this, and neither is that my intention. I am simply a fan writing for fans.

**Chie:** I've had this particular idea brimming at the back of my mind for around 4 years now. I originally planned to do a regular chapter story, 4 years have gone by with absolutely no progressed, I've changed my mind.

**T****his story will be a series of (related) one-shots!**

However, I warn you already here and now, that my motivation is very fickle indeed, and that I have other on-going stories that will have priority. **Do NOT expect frequent updates!**

Orders from above

_The flames were scorching. The smoke was getting thicker and it was hard to breathe. The heat was unbearable and his limbs were growing weak, but still he pushed forward. He had to reach her. He had to …_

He took in a deep breath. The air was clean and brisk and his eyes shot open. He stared into the blue of the sky spreading wide above him.

'What the hell happened?' the teenager thought to himself. He sat up and took in the field of grass lazily undulating in the light wind. 'What the heck?'

He still felt weak and a little hungry on top of that, too. He got on his feet and started walking.

0oOo0

The hell butterfly fluttered and landed on the back of Kuchiki Byakuya's hand. The captain of the sixth division looked at the messenger briefly, and then straightened himself. The captain commander had called all captains to an urgent meeting, so Kuchiki Byakuya left the 6th division's headquarters and headed to the main hall of 1st division. He was among the first to arrive, only captain Hitsugaya and captain Unohana were there before him. After a while the rest of the captains started to arrive, one by one. They took their usual assigned places under captain commander Yamamoto's watchful gaze.

"Everyone, we have a matter of great urgency on our hands," started captain commander Yamamoto in his booming voice. "The Central 46 have issued a strong request for Gotei 13 to fill the vacant captain positions as soon as possible."

Captain Kyouraku adjusted his straw hat in a habitual gesture.

"Well, it was going to happen eventually," he murmured softly.

"What do the Central 46 mean 'as soon as possible'?" Inquired captain Unohana calmly.

"They have set us a deadline of 10 days." captain commander Yamamoto replied.

"10 days?"

"That's impossible!"

"What are they thinking?"

"Silence!" Yamamoto bellowed and the murmurs immediately ceded. "Instead of that useless banter, we should consider our choices."

"What about appointing vice captain Hisagi as the captain of ninth division?" captain Komamura suggested.

"He does not have a _bankai_, does he?" objected 2nd division captain Soi Fong.

"Vice captain Hisagi showed a lot of promise already when he was a student at the academy," captain Unohana remarked. "And he has in effect been acting as the ninth division's captain ever since Aizen's betrayal."

"He is a hard-working man. I am sure he will learn to command _bankai_ eventually." Komamura stated matter-of-factly.

"But we cannot select him by the proficiency exam, if he does not already possess a _bankai_," captain Hitsugaya argued.  
"Trial by combat," Zaraki Kenpachi muttered.

"Defeating the former captain in a one-on-one fight in front of 200 witnesses?" Soi Fong asked incredulously.

"It was not a one-on-one fight, and there were not 200 witnesses either… But Hisagi Shuuhei did deal the fatal blow on Tousen and saved my life," captain Komamura insisted.

"Do we have other candidates for captains of Gotei 13?" the captain commander cut in.

"6th division vice captain Abarai Renji." spoke 6th division captain Kuchiki Byakuya. "He has achieved a _bankai_."

"Abarai's not half bad," Zaraki conceded.

"You might want to consider making him the captain of the 3rd division," suggested captain Hitsugaya. "Abarai and Kira were good friends already back in their academy days. From the stories Hinamori told me, they seemed quite close."

"Assuming he will pass the exam," reminded Soi Fong.

"There are now 2 candidates to consider. However there are 3 vacancies to be filled," reminded captain Unohana.

Silence fell, as everyone pondered in silence of the shinigami that might have potential to become captains.

After the silence has continued for several moments, captain Kuchiki cleared his throat. He spoke his following words reluctantly.  
"For a few days now, I have been feeling a _familiar_ spirit pressure from somewhere in Rukongai."

Ukitake glanced at the aristocrat sharply.

"I thought I was imagining things," the 13th division captain confessed quietly. "But I've felt his _reiatsu_ as well."

"That is impossible. Didn't he lose his powers?" captain Hitsugaya argued.

"Maybe he regained them?" suggested captain Kyoraku mildly.

"But if he had somehow regained his powers… Why would he be in Rukongai and not visiting the people he knows in Seireitei?" captain Unohana pondered out loud.

"You can't seriously be considering him as _captain_!" Soi Fong protested, feeling outraged.

"It is highly unconventional," captain Ukitake admitted. "But we are short on both time and proficient candidates. He is talented, strong and he has proven himself in a battle."

Ukitake turned to look at the old captain of the first division.

"I suggest we look into this matter immediately, captain commander."

Yamamoto stayed silent for a while, but then nodded slowly.

"Go, Ukitake. Take captain Hitsugaya and captain Kuchiki with you."

0oOo0

The place was an absolute dump. The houses were in horrible shape, and the people weren't much better. Food was scarce, which really troubled him because he was almost constantly hungry. He prowled along the dirt streets. A bunch of street kids ran by him and he watched them go with mixed feelings. It was a tough enough place for adults to try to live in, let alone children. Strolling out of the town, he headed towards the small hill where he had found himself the day when…

The words still got caught up in his throat sometimes. It was hard to come to terms with the situation, but it was the only logical explanation he could come up with.

The day when he had died.

He snorted to himself. It all still sounded so hard to believe. Not to even mention ridiculous. He was _not_ having a good year – first losing his powers and then actually getting himself killed.

Well, it had been a stupid idea to run into a building that was on fire. Even if it was the apartment building Orihime lived in. In the end, he hadn't even been able to save her.

He plopped down to the grass and stared at the river that streamed sluggishly before him.

He had tried to look for her right when he had arrived. But there were a lot of people in Rukongai, even in the one district he had ended up living in. It was not easy to find a single person out there.

His head rose up sharply when he felt a familiar tingling. A sensation the kind of which he had not felt in a while.

_Reiatsu._

His eyes widened.

But his powers had been _lost_! So why…?

Three figures were approaching him, dressed in their shinigami uniforms and the white overcoat that signalled their high status to everyone.

He stared at them in surprise.

"Good day, Kurosaki-san," greeted the white haired man who was smiling amiably down at him.

"Ukitake! Byakuya! Toushirou!"

Captain Kuchiki huffed exasperatedly while Hitsugaya's expression immediately grew more irked. Neither of the captains were too thrilled by Ichigo's casual address.

"I did not expect to see you here any time soon," the 13th division captain continued pleasantly.

"Yeah, well… Neither did I," Ichigo said, a slight sneer playing on his lips for a split second.

"When did you get you powers back?" captain Hitsugaya questioned

"I didn't. I didn't even realise they had returned until I felt your _reiatsu_ a moment ago."

There was a glimmer of curiosity in Ukitake's eyes.

"Have you at any point felt hungry?"

"All the time." Ichigo grumbled.

Ukitake and Byakuya shared a meaningful look.

"Well I suppose that is validation enough," the white-haired man said with a smile.

"Perhaps the returning of his powers had something to do with his death?" Hitsugaya suggested.

"But does his strength remain on the same level it was before?" Byakuya asked pointedly.

"I don't know." Ichigo frowned. "I haven't even tested them out yet."

"Well then, we can find out when you do the exam and thus kill two birds with one stone." Ukitake said enthusiastically.  
"Exam?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"The captain proficiency exam," Kuchiki Byakuya explained curtly.

"Come again?" Kurosaki Ichigo's frown was deeper than ever and his voice was full of confusion.

"Gotei 13 is still short of 3 captains, and now we must urgently fill in these vacancies. We think you should try out the captain proficiency exam," the man with long white hair said patiently

"Captain? _Me_? Why me?"

"Because your powers were the level of a captain, you have a lot of experience in combat, and your father is a former captain." listed the captain of the thirteenth division, with a slight small on his lips.

"And because there was no one else at hand," added captain Kuchiki of the 6th division coldly. "It is unheard of even letting anyone who has not even been to the academy to be a _shinigami_, let alone a captain." the aristocrat snorted.

"Now now, Kuchiki-taichou! You know we are badly shorthanded," captain Ukitake said amiably.

"Besides the orders came from above," reminded the captain of 10th division simply. The white haired boy-genius had his arms crossed across his chest.

"Although you still have faults," Kuchiki Byakuya said haughtily.

"You are not aware of the customs of Soul Society," Ukitake admitted.

"And as for _kidou_, you have no experience or skill whatsoever," the black-haired aristocrat said with a slight sneer.

"However, it is no time for Soul Society to be picky," Ukitake said. "You've shown quite a talent and that is something we come across so rarely."

"Of course, you have to take the proficiency exam first, so we can be certain you have what it takes," Byakuya reminded pointedly.

Ichigo sighed in defeat. How come he always somehow found himself in situations like these? All of a sudden having to face something he was not prepared to tackle. Time after time, he kept getting casually tossed into the middle of someone else's mess.

And how come no one ever bothered to ask _his opinion_ before throwing him to the lions?

Life – even the one after his _death_ – was so unfair.


	2. Fifth division

The Fifth Division

Ichigo stared at the tall doors in apprehension. It was the first time he would actually enter the main hall of the 1st division's headquarters, where the captain council regularly gathered. The captains, who were the most respected people of Gotei 13.

And now he was one of them.

It still made no sense to him.

The tall doors were imposing and he couldn't help the nervousness building inside of him. Behind those doors would be the captain council. How was he to face them? He was no longer their enemy, but it wasn't as if they'd always been allies, either. He began pacing. The captain's haori distracted him as it trailed after his steps. He was not used to the piece of clothing yet, after all he had only received it the previous day.

Suddenly, words were spoken and it startled him – he had thought he was alone.

"Nervous?" a man asked. Despite his tough, gangster-like appearance, he appeared to be calm and friendly. Ichigo recognised the man to be one of the vice-captains, but they had never been formally introduced. He also noticed that he, too, was now wearing the white haori of a captain.

"Yeah." he said. He was unable to stop the words that followed. "Unlike you, I'm a complete outsider, not only to the captain's council but to the whole Gotei 13."

"You will get used to it, Kurosaki Ichigo," the man assured. He offered the younger man a slight smile, until he opened the doors and walked in.

Ichigo stood there, hesitating. Should he follow the other newly made captain and just try casually walking in? There was a part of him that was dreading stepping into the room.

While he contemplated this dilemma, feeling torn, a tall red-haired man suddenly rushed to the scene.

"Whew, I made it on time," he grinned, straightening his captain's haori.

"Renji?" Ichigo blurted, not trusting his eyes. "They made _you_ a captain?"

"Passed the exam with flying colours," the man bragged.

Ichigo but stared at him. It still felt very hard to believe that Renji was a captain… But then again, the Gotei 13 had been desperate enough to make _him_ take the test, too.

"Quit spacing out, Ichigo! Come on!"

Before Ichigo had any chance to respond, Renji grabbed his shoulder and had already dragged him into the great hall of the 1st division's headquarters – the very room the captains of Gotei 13 had been gathered in the council.

Ichigo tried not to fidget nervously as he felt all eyes in the room turning to look at him. Renji walked over to the vice-captain-made-captain who had already entered earlier, and Ichigo had no choice but to follow. Once they stopped, the captain commander's authoritative voice opened the council meeting.

"It's good that you are all here," Yamamoto Genryuusai spoke. "Today we welcome to our ranks three new captains. Two of them passed the qualifying exam, one was recommended and accepted. Let us commence the inauguration ceremony."

"First, the former vice-captain of the 9th division, Hisagi Shuuhei, is thusly promoted to be the captain of the 9th division, by the council's recommendation."

Hisagi bowed his head to the other captains.

"Please take care of me," he spoke formally.

"Next, the former vice-captain of the 6th division, Abarai Renji, is promoted to be the captain of the 3rd division after having passed the captain proficiency exam."

"Yo!" Renji casually greeted the other captains and grinned widely.

The corner of captain Kuchiki's mouth twitched in a way resembling a grimace.

"Finally, Kurosaki Ichigo is promoted to be the captain of the 5th division after having passed the captain proficiency exam."

"H-hi," Ichigo stammered, feeling too nervous to come up with anything cleverer to say.

"Other changes have also been made to accommodate the loss of 2 vice-captains. The 3rd seat of 9th division, Kazuki Miyu, will be promoted to be the new vice-captain of 9th division. Vice-captain Hinamori Momo will be transferred from the 5th division to the 6th division. Her place will be replaced by specially promoted lower rank shinigami." captain commander Yamamoto paused. "This concludes the council today."

While the captains began to shuffle out of the room, two of them approached Ichigo.

"Care to come with us, Kurosaki-san?" captain Ukitake asked, a friendly smile on his face.

Finding no reason why he shouldn't, Ichigo nodded.

0o0o0

Ichigo had followed captain Ukitake and captain Kuchiki all the way to the 13th division's headquarters. The three captains sat down in Ukitake's office.

"Now, I actually have a reason for inviting you along, Kurosaki-san," the captain of the 13th division confessed.

"Oh? What reason?" Ichigo asked.

"We thought it would be better for you to meet your vice-captain before you would enter the 5th division headquarters."

Vice-captain. Ichigo had not thought about that before. Captain commander Yamamoto had said that 5th division's captain was recently promoted from lower ranks. Who the hell could that be? He frowned to himself.

"Finding you a vice-captain proved to be a difficult task," Ukitake said amiably. "And in the end we chose someone who would not normally even be considered for such a promotion, but we figured that your strength would even out your vice-captain's lack of power."

"And in a similar fashion, your vice-captain has showed skill in _kidou_ – unlike you," Kuchiki Byakuya said levelly.

"We thought that this whole transition would be easier for you, if we picked someone with whom we knew you would come along," captain Ukitake continued.

There was a rap on the door and a petite, dark-haired shinigami stepped in.

"Rukia!" Ichigo breathed out in surprise. He was delighted to see the woman again; it had been so long since they had bid their goodbye. "It's good to see you! What are you doing here?"

Rukia's slight scowl was the only warning he got. The next moment, Ichigo doubled over, sputtering, after the small female had mercilessly shoved her elbow into his gut.

"Owwwww, what the hell, Rukia?" he managed to wheeze. There was a tiny part in him that was happy for the uncalled-for assault. At least there was something in his (after) life that remained constant - Rukia would still beat him up randomly for no reason. He'd never understand women.

"That was for getting yourself killed, you idiot!" the Rukia said, crossing her arms and glaring angrily at him. "What the hell were you thinking?"

So there actually was a reason. Ichigo lowered his gaze and actually managed to look a bit sheepish.

"I guess I wasn't thinking…?" he admitted slowly, careful not to add fuel to Rukia's fire.

"Damn right you weren't! I knew you would end up doing something stupid as soon as I wasn't there to look after you, but even in my wildest dreams I didn't think you would actually be moronic enough to – "

"Hey," Ichigo blurted, cutting through Rukia's irate rant as something caught his eye, "what is that?" he asked, pointing at the item tied around Rukia's left arm.

The small shinigami's chest puffed out a little, and it was hard for her to keep the smugness out of her voice and still appear indifferent.

"You know what it is, you've seen it before," she replied.

Ichigo stared at the vice-captain's badge that Rukia was donning in utter disbelief. Then, he almost twisted his neck, looking over his shoulder and trying to peer what number it was again that was adorning his new captain's haori.

"They picked _you_?" he managed to stammer, staring at the number five painted on Rukia's badge. "_You_ are my vice-captain?"

Rukia grinned.

"Please take care of me, Kurosaki-_taichou_," she said formally, bowing gracefully.

Ichigo scowled.

"Don't do that, it gives me the creeps."

"Don't do what, taichou?"

"That taichou-crap."

"As you wish." the woman shrugged.

Suddenly, Ichigo was aware that captain Ukitake was beaming at them.

"We'll leave the rest to you," the old man said loftily. "Kuchiki-san, please show Kurosaki-san your division's headquarters."

Rukia bowed her head.

"Yes, Ukitake-taichou."

"Do not be late for dinner, Rukia," captain Kuchiki spoke in his usually indifferent tone.

"I won't, nii-sama," she promised.

Then, the woman turned to Ichigo.

"Follow me."

Ichigo's eyebrow rose at the command in Rukia's voice, but he knew better than to question her. He had been punched enough for one day.

0o0o0

Shin, the 3rd seat of the 5th division was waiting in front of the squad's barracks, shifting nervously. While the majority of the division was relieved that they had finally been appointed a new captain, there was also a certain amount of anxiety in the air. It would be a while to ease under the new rule. Furthermore, even their vice-captain had been transferred to another division.

Shin raised his gaze as he heard bickering voices approaching. He soon saw a young man with wild-orange hair wearing a new captain's haori, arguing about something with a petite woman with unruly black hair.

When the pair drew closer, Shin tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He bowed to his new superiors.

"Welcome, _taichou_, _fukutaichou_! I'm Shin, the 3rd seat of 5th division and I will show you around our headquarters!"

"Yo!" Ichigo greeted casually. "What's with all the grovelling?" he asked then, obviously uncomfortable by the man's deep bow.

Shin straightened hesitantly.  
"It's a show of respect, Ichigo!" the woman huffed, glaring at the captain from the corner of her eye.

Obviously, his new vice-captain and captain were familiar with one another.

"Do not mind him, Shin-kun," the woman continued, smiling at the nervous man. "He can be quite a grouch sometimes."

"Oy, Rukia!" the man protested indignantly.

She blatantly ignored his protests.

"Please, it would be great if you could give us a tour. We really want to get to know our way around as soon as possible."

Ichigo was still grumpy at Rukia's bossy treatment. At the same time, though, he was relieved that even though he was now higher in rank than she was, the way she behaved around him hadn't changed in the least. Paying close attention to his surroundings, and looking at the cluster of buildings curiously, Ichigo trailed after Rukia, who was kindly chatting with their guide.

This would be his new home.


	3. Paperwork

Paperwork

"Fukutaichou, I'm sorry to bother you, but …"

"Yes, what is it?" the shinigami automatically replied, not even looking up from the paper she was holding. Her desk had disappeared ages ago underneath high piles of paper and the vice-captain herself looked as if she had not slept for several days – which was probably true.

Shin very well knew that even though his vice-captain generally was a gentle person, when she was behind her desk in her own study she turned into a monster with tendencies to bite off people's heads.

Paperwork had such an effect on people sometimes.

"Uhm... Taichou told me to bring these to you..."

The raven-haired vice-captain now finally raised her gaze from her work to look at the nervous young shinigami at the door.

A curse slipped from her lips as she noted the stack of papers Shin was holding.

The shinigami gulped nervously.

"Shin-kun," the vice-captain started, a pleasant smile on her lips – although Shin noticed the twitching of the corner of the female's lips, suggesting that the smile maybe was not quite that genuine, "could you maybe tell me where the taichou is?"

'She's going to snap right now,' Shin thought to himself.

"He's in his own room, Fukutaichou... he said that he'll take a nap."

A nap?

Vein pop.

The vice-captain got up and smoothed down the wrinkles on her black haori.

"Put the papers onto my desk, please, Shin-kun. I think that I'll go to have a little chat with our honoured captain."

After stomping down the corridor for a while, the very thoroughly pissed off vice-captain found the door she was looking for.

"Oy! That's _my_ door you're slamming! Watch it, will ya!"

"Oh, forgive me, _taichou-sama_."

"Hmhp, spare me the bullshit. What's up?"

"Nothing much," the woman answered dryly.

The captain clenched his teeth.

"Oh, you're in one of _those_ moods," he huffed.

"And what mood might that be?" the woman's voice as good as dripped with acid.

He ignored the comment and crossed his arms across his chest.

"What is it? Or did you stomp in here just to ruin my day?"

"I? Ruin _your _day?"

At this point the volume level of the "little chat" increased noticeably. In other words, the conversation was now loud enough to be clearly followed even from as far as second division's quarters.

"You're pushing your paperwork over onto **me**. AGAIN!"

"So…?"

"So, stop it! It's _your_ job, damnit! Instead you keep on throwing me all these piles of paper! You don't even spare a glance at them before you call for someone to bring them over to my study. My desk is drowning in all that damn paper as I struggle from day to day to keep up with it, all while YOU ARE TAKING A NAP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY!"

"Well I was tired," he defended himself.

"_YOU_ were tired? I haven't slept for three friggin' nights because I've been too busy with the damn paperwork and you dare – "

"Well it's not MY fault that – "

Out in the corridor, Shin pressed his hands over his ears and heaved a sigh. In the days before Aizen-taichou's betrayal, the fifth division had been a peaceful and harmonized place. Aizen-taichou had been very kind and well liked among his subordinates.

After his betrayal though, fifth division had been thrust into chaos. Vice-captain Hinamori had done the best she could, but her health had still been wavering.

Now, finally, fifth division had been appointed a new captain. Everyone had been relived, but it would seem it would take some time for them all to get used to the new situation.

And for sure, peace had not yet returned to the fifth division.

0oOo0

"How can they get along at all," Isane wondered, listening to the yelling coming from the fifth division's headquarters. She was sitting in the garden outside the fourth division's headquarters, holding a cup of tea in her hands.

"Is it just me," Matsumoto chuckled, "or do they remind you of one other division?"

"What division?" Isane asked, puzzled.

"Well, those two kind of remind me of Nanao-chan and Kyoraku-taichou. Of course, the fifth division tends to take it all a bit too far," Matsumoto said shaking her head.

"We are nothing like them!" Nanao objected, adjusting her glasses. "I'd rather say they are like Rangiku-san and Hitsugaya-taichou, one doing all the work for the other one, too."

"Hey – "

"They're both young and new to their positions," Isane cut in quickly. "They'll learn."

"Or they'll just end up killing each other," Matsumoto suggested in an off-handed manner, taking a long sip of her tea.

0oOo0

As the fifth division's vice-captain returned to the Kuchiki manor after a long day at work, the first thing she did was to collapse in a very unladylike manner onto her futon. She felt thoroughly exhausted.

Rukia called a servant who quickly arrived. She helped the raven-haired vice-captain to change from her formal shinigami's attire into a plain lilac kimono. Nobility or not, Rukia could not forget her poor origins and therefore preferred plainness, simplicity and comfort in everything she did.

After she had sent the servant off with an order to bring her a cup of tea and a little something to eat, Rukia sighed to herself and sat down onto the tatami floor.

She felt guilty for yelling so much at Ichigo. Surely they had always been bickering before but their fights had never been quite so severe as the ones they'd been having as of late, after gaining their new positions in Gotei 13. Naturally she felt annoyed because of all the paperwork he insisted on handing over to her but she ought to have realised how _he_ was feeling.

He had first lost his powers, then he had died, and almost right away had been promoted to a captain in Gotei 13. He must have been overwhelmed by the very same feeling of being out-of-place that had took a hold of her when her powers had vanished and she had been trapped alone in the real world.

'I'll apologise to him,' she decided. She should from now on be more considerate and treat him with understanding and kindness. They'd find a compromise regarding the issue of the evil paperwork.

She heard the door slide open but didn't spare the servant a glance.

"Leave it onto the table."

She heard footsteps nearing her and then a light tap when the tray was being set onto the table.

However, she had not expected to hear "Yo, Rukia."

The woman quickly turned to look at the man she had mistaken for a servant.

"Ichigo? What are you – "

"What does it look like?" he snapped, looking quickly away and fighting a blush of embarrassment.

Truth to be told he had been pacing in the corridor behind Rukia's door and when the servant had appeared, startling him, he had stolen the tray from her while declaring that he would deliver it for Rukia.

"But why – "

"Rukia… I'm sorry."

The surprise disappeared from her face as her lips melted into a small smile.

"Ichigo, you idiot," she said quietly, still smiling. "Sit down," she requested, patting the empty spot by her side.

Ichigo scowled and seated himself onto the floor next to her.

"I was foolish as well as selfish. It is I who ought to apologise."

"Oy, what are you – "

"I was not considerate of how you feel. Forgive me." The young woman bowed her head.

"Geez, Rukia, raise your head. You were right too, you know. It was wrong to keep pushing all my work onto your shoulders. It's just.. I just.. Ugh, I've never been one to have patience with paperwork. Besides, I thought that you would know what to do better than me anyway, so – "

"I'll help you," Rukia offered. "Tomorrow we'll tackle the paperwork together."

"Deal," the fifth division's captain agreed with a faint smile.

"It must feel awful to you," she said suddenly in a hushed tone. "Having everything you know suddenly taken away and – "

"Shut up, Rukia," Ichigo interrupted sourly. "You're always like that. Worrying way too much for your own good." The orange-haired young man huffed, shaking his head. "Haven't I told this to you already before? I don't want you to worry about me. I can manage well. Worry about yourself for a change, okay?"

"But – "

"It's okay, really. If you don't worry about yourself, it will only be more of a bother to me. 'Cause then I'll have to worry about you since you're too busy worrying about everyone else but yourself. So just do me the favour, will ya?"

Rukia lowered humbly her head.

"Hai, Kurosaki-taichou."

"What's with that crap now?" he sneered. "You ought to know my name by now since you've used it for so long already. Or do you really want me to start calling you 'Kuchiki-fukutaichou'? You're such an idiot."

Ichigo ruffled Rukia's hair and got up.

"It's dinner-time. Byakuya's probably waiting us already."

0oOo0

Vice-captain Matsumoto gasped.

"What now, Rangiku-san?" asked Hinamori Momo, puzzled at the sudden reaction of her friend.

"Listen!"

"… But I can't hear a thing," she replied, now even more confused.

"Exactly," Matsumoto stated.

The two vice-captains looked at each other worriedly before they sprang up as one, both grabbing their zanpakutou. Together they ran to fifth division's headquarters.

The captain and vice-captain were both in the captain's study, bent over sheets of paper. As the door was slid open with force, their heads bopped up as one, their gazes settling onto the two vice-captains standing in the doorway.

"Matsumoto-san? Hinamori-san? What is going on?" Rukia immediately asked. Her small hand had already flown onto the hilt of her sword.

The two vice-captains gawking in the doorway now looked slightly embarrassed.

"Uhh.."

"We apologize..."

"We thought that something was wrong, so…"

"Quit babbling," Kurosaki-taichou barked out. "We've got work to do here."

"If there's nothing you wish to discuss, could you please leave? We're a bit busy at the moment and…"

"Sorry about the disturbance, Kurosaki-taichou, Kuchiki-san…" Hinamori bowed, sheathing her zanpakutou.

The door slid shut.

"What the hell was that about?"

"Who knows," Rukia replied shaking her head.

Outside, in the corridor of the fifth division's headquarters stood two very puzzled vice-captains.

"I can't believe it," Matsumoto finally breathed out. "They're actually getting along."


End file.
